Chile rattled by 6.1-magnitude aftershock

2010-03-29 10:13

SANTIAGO, March 29 (AFP) - Chile was rattled by a 6.1 magnitude aftershock Sunday causing no damage or injuries but some panic in Concepcion, near where last month's massive quake struck killing 452 people, authorities and eyewitnesses said.

The earthquake struck at 5:43 pm (2143 GMT), with its epicenter located offshore at 166 kilometers (103 miles) north of Concepcion, at a depth of 19 kilometers (12 miles), the US-based Geological Sury's National Earthquake Information Center said.

No alert was issued by the US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

"No damage was reported to people or infrastructure from this earthquake," Chile's National Emergency Office said.

Some people in the central port city of Concepcion, however, rushed out of their homes into the street as a precaution, an AFP reporter said.

On February, an 8.8-magnitude quake and tsunami centered around Concepcion in Chile killed at least 452 people and caused some 30 billion dollars in damage, with nearly 100 people still missing.